A Pirate's Life for Me
by The Hidden One
Summary: Marry a nobleman, bear his children, raise them to be respectable and snobbish adults who care for nothing but money, then die. What if Elizabeth doesn't follow that? (Set before POTC-Will have change of events in movie)


The clock chimed twelve midnight. Elizabeth Swann crept out of bed. She changed from her nightgown to what a person would call 'men's' clothes she had hidden. She crept out onto her balcony, and jumped off and landed with cat-like grace one can only get from practice.  
  
She walked normally, but kept a sharp eye. From a casual glance, she would appear to be a boy, a bandana hiding her hair, and men clothes hiding from most people her feminine appearance. But under a closer inspection, you could see some of her female features.  
  
There were reasons she dressed this way. The first, was that she knew it was dangerous for a woman to be walking around at midnight. The second, it was more comfortable than layers of dresses. The third, no one would think the Governor's daughter of all people to be walking around in men's clothes in the dead of night.  
  
She walked down to the harbor, watching the water. She also kept a sharp eye out for people, mostly soldiers, though is was not likely for them to be out here at this hour.  
  
Elizabeth had been sneaking out at night for nearly a month now. No one had suspected, which was a good thing, for her father would be horrified if he found out. Ever since she found out what her 'duty' in life was, she had made her escapes.  
  
She mostly came to think about escaping out on a ship, to sail away, to become a pirate with a life of adventure! How splendid would that be? But she sighed. Her fantasies could never change what she was supposed to do. Marry a nobleman, bear his children, raise them to be respectable and snobbish adults who care for nothing but money, then die, Elizabeth thought in disdain.  
  
She climbed off the dock, and walked along the sand. After a while, she found the cave she had discovered just last week. She felt proud of herself as she pulled a sword out from underneath a blanket in the corner. She had stolen it from her father's display room, pretending she was stealing treasure like a pirate. No one had noticed the sword got yet, and that filled her with pride.  
  
She went out to the beach. She was no longer worried about being seen, as a few hills would hide her from the town. She started practicing, like she did most nights with the sword. At first, she felt a fool, swinging a sword at nothing, but soon got used to it.  
  
She practiced moves like the ones she saw the soldiers use, yet used some of her own. She doubted if she met a pirate they would only use what little a soldier knew about swordsmanship. They would rather use their guns, which would beat a sword in outright combat, but Elizabeth preferred the stealth mode, and she couldn't practice shooting, for then she would be discovered.  
  
She continued practicing until her muscles just collapsed and she fell to the ground.  
  
*****  
  
William Turner, more commonly known as Will, gazed at the stars. He was currently laying on a hill not far from the ocean.  
  
He liked his life as a blacksmith, with the exception of his drunken master, but sometimes he felt the ocean was calling him. To be a sailor, or something. A pirate, really. Whenever he saw a ship enter the harbor, he would always feel his fingers twitch, as if he wished to be aboard, or even steal it. He knew it was folly. A one man ship? He laughed at himself.  
  
Though, to be a sailor, he would leave behind everything that pained him. Or the one thing. Her. Elizabeth Swann. Ever since she had saved him that day, he had felt attracted to her, which reminded him painfully he was only a blacksmith and she the Governor's daughter. He had even heard rumors that Commodore Norrington fancied her.  
  
He was distracted from his thoughts as he saw a flash of moonlight where it shouldn't be. In the sand. Only it was moving, catching the moonlight at different angles. He crept closer for a better look, praying it not be a pirate coming to slaughter some people or something.  
  
Will then realized, it was a boy practicing with a sword. He wasn't very good, probably taught himself, but was better than some of the soldiers he'd seen in the Navy.  
  
The boy he was watching collapsed onto the ground, obviously from exhaustion. Will saw the boy pull off the bandana from his head, and was surprised to see curly hair fall down just below his shoulders. He gasped as he realized who it was.  
  
"Elizabeth." he whispered.  
  
Why would she be out here? Why is she wearing men's clothes? Why is she practicing with a sword? A sword she probably stole from her father's display? These questions were running around his head, as he watched Elizabeth disappear back into the hill. She came back out again without the sword, and her bandana back on. \  
  
He longed to go ask her the million questions that were running around in his head at the moment, but thought better of it and watched to disappear, heading back to the town.  
  
He climbed down from the hill, and soon discovered the cave she had entered. He searched through it, and found only a blanket. Taking off the blanket, he found the sword she was practicing with. He took it outside and inspected it in the moonlight. He found it to be one of his own creations. It was not badly made, but he had made better. It was one of his early pieces and he was slightly embarrassed by it.  
  
He then realized something he could do for Elizabeth. He could teach her to sword fight. He had taught himself how to, but had spent hours watching fights, unlike Elizabeth who would be forbidden too.  
  
He smiled at the idea, and put the sword back under the blanket. He would come out here, and find out exactly when she came. Knowing her fiery spirit, it would be quite often.  
  
*****  
  
Another one of my excellent stories! Yah, I wish.  
  
'Captain' Jack Sparrow: You should be working on your other fics though, savvy?  
  
Uh... no ^^  
  
The Hidden One 


End file.
